Reel Dollars

Since box-office tallies aren't adjusted for inflation in ticket prices, rising admission costs have helped pave the way for "Avatar" -- and previous blockbusters like "Titanic," "The Dark Knight" and "Transformers" -- to dominate the top of the all-time charts. Below, a list of the highest-grossing movies of all time; click to re-rank them by inflation-adjusted box office totals (top 10 in yellow). (Avatar figures updated 1/31/10.)

Titanic

600788188

955624708

128

12/19/97

Avatar (still in theaters)

594472387

594472387

63

12/18/09

The Dark Knight

533345358

554144341

74

7/18/08

Star Wars**

460998007

1264241672

169

5/25/77

Shrek 2

436721703

524628648

70

5/19/04

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial**

434949459

1041937096

140

6/11/82

Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace

431088295

633054858

85

5/19/99

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

423271331

482076966

65

7/7/06

Spider-Man

403706375

519249924

70

5/3/02

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

380270577

442561389

59

5/19/05

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

377019252

466428461

63

12/17/03

Spider-Man 2

373377893

448534474

60

6/30/04

The Passion of the Christ

370270943

444802131

60

2/25/04

Jurassic Park

357067947

643412291

86

6/11/93

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

341748130

439558802

59

12/18/02

Forrest Gump**

329694499

589813180

79

7/6/94

The Lion King**

328539505

587746932

79

6/15/94

Return of the Jedi**

309205079

695489877

93

5/25/83

Independence Day

306169255

517918967

69

7/3/96

The Sixth Sense

293506292

431015145

58

8/6/99

The Empire Strikes Back

290158751

550614760

74

5/21/80

Home Alone

285761243

503966637

68

11/16/90

Jaws

260000000

955467980

128

6/20/75

Batman

251188924

469641447

63

6/23/89

Raiders of the Lost Ark*

242374454

646031875

87

6/12/81

Ghostbusters**

238600000

528633101

71

6/8/84

Beverly Hills Cop

234760478

521224157

70

12/5/84

Back To the Future

210609762

442577134

59

7/3/85

Gone With the Wind**

195530726

1458659218

196

12/15/39

Grease

187992537

553942425

74

6/11/93

Snow White**

184925486

813140000

109

12/21/37

Tootsie

177200000

449629932

60

12/17/82

The Exorcist

165000000

703371429

94

12/26/73

The Sound of Music

160476336

1050234637

141

3/2/65

The Sting

156000000

665005714

89

12/25/73

101 Dalmatians**

144880014

745382693

100

1/25/61

The Jungle Book**

141843612

544580000

73

10/18/67

Nat'l Lampoon's Animal House

141600000

451425641

61

7/28/78

The Godfather**

134966411

592264368

79

3/15/72

Blazing Saddles

119500000

471677249

63

2/6/74

The Towering Inferno

116000000

462759358

62

12/13/74

American Graffiti

115000000

466278736

63

8/1/73

Doctor Zhivago**

111721912

896177918

120

12/22/65

Love Story

106397184

512079350

69

1/1/70

The Graduate

104397104

564349562

76

12/22/67

Bambi**

102797150

469980000

63

8/21/42

Mary Poppins**

102272727

583236400

78

8/27/64

Airport

100489151

483644559

65

3/5/70

Butch Cassidy And the Sundance Kid

96681900

507920404

68

10/24/69

Pinocchio

84254167

499820000

67

2/7/40

Fantasia **

76400000

619504348

83

11/13/40

Ben-Hur**

74000000

731080000

98

11/18/59

My Fair Lady

72000000

577548387

77

12/25/64

The Ten Commandments

66064944

977260000

131

11/9/56

Thunderball

64000000

472712871

63

12/29/65

Cleopatra

58000000

509035294

68

6/12/63

Sleeping Beauty

51600000

537120000

72

1/29/59

The Greatest Show on Earth

36000000

488290909

65

1/10/52

The Robe

36000000

447600000

60

9/16/53

The Bells of St. Mary's

21300000

453994286

61

12/6/45

Note: Figures are for U.S. and Canada. Ticket sale totals are rounded.
**Includes all re-releasesSource: Hollywood.com; Photo: 20th Century Fox via Associated PressWrite to the Online Journal's editors
at newseditors@wsj.com